Region celebrates big rise in visitors from Far East as Chinese New Year begins

YORKSHIRE IS celebrating the start of Chinese New Year with an announcement today of a huge increase in the number of visitors from the Far East choosing to visit the region.

Research by Visit Britain shows figures have more than doubled since 2012 when 9,000 Chinese people chose Yorkshire as a holiday destination, compared to almost 20,000 in 2016.

Recent global research found the Chinese had a positive opinion of Britain, ranking it fourth overall out of 50 nations. And the same study revealed they were attracted not just to major sites like stately homes and Royal palaces, but also the ‘beauty of the landscape’ and feeling ‘connected to nature’.

Welcome to Yorkshire’s chief executive Sir Gary Verity said: “China is fast becoming the biggest force in world tourism and we’re delighted to see a huge increase in visits to this part of the world. All the signs are that those numbers will rise even further as we await the final figures for 2017 which we believe will show a further upward trend.”

Sir Gary’s comments came as he visited the kitchens of Leeds restaurant Tattu for a lesson in the art of high-end Chinese cookery courtesy of its executive chef Clifton Muil.

“Chinese New Year is a really important date in the restaurant’s calendar,” Mr Muil said. “We’re very much looking forward to showing Leeds how we celebrate with our food and a spectacular lion dance performance planned for Saturday evening.”

Elsewhere, traditional Chinese lion dancing and live music will be at the heart of celebrations at Hull City Hall tomorrow and thousands are expected to gather at Sheffield City Hall on Tuesday for its Chinese cultural show.

Meanwhile, the British Council has created a new virtual-reality dog to encourage youngsters to try learning Mandarin.

The pup – a fitting character for the Year of the Dog – is part of an education pack designed to introduce primary-school children to China’s language and culture.